2 min read
A prosecution witness narrated to an Abuja court, on Thursday, how two companies allegedly linked to a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, were paid N544 million for the controversial grass cutting contract.
The grass-cutting scandal cost Mr Lawal his job in 2017.
Hamza Buwai, a Deputy Director, Finance and Accounts from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), appeared before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jabi, Abuja, as the second prosecution witness in Mr Lawal’s trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Mr Lawal with amended 10 counts, including awarding contracts to companies in which he had interests, fraud, criminal conspiracy, and diversion of about N544 million belonging to the government.
Grass-cutting contract scam: Babachir Lawal’s trial begins afresh, first witness testifies
The defendants were accused of fraudulently converting the N544m proceeds of the grass-cutting contracts.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (
EFCC) on Wednesday called its first witness in the restarted trial of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and six others accused of N544m grass-cutting contract fraud.
A relationship manager in the Sales Department of the Wuse Zone 4, Abuja branch of the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Mohammed Babasule, tendered the statement of account and account opening documents of one of the companies standing trial along with Mr Lawal and the other defendants on Wednesday.
Share
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today called its first witness in the fresh trial of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engineer Babachir Lawal, before Justice Charles Agbaza of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting at Jabi, Abuja.
The defendants were re-arraigned on Monday, November 30, 2020, before Justice Agbaza by the anti-corruption commission alongside five others for an alleged N544million grass-cutting contract fraud following the death of Justice Jude Okeke, who was handling the case before he passed on on August 4, 2020.
The former SGF is standing trial alongside his younger brother, Hamidu David Lawal, who is a director of Rholavision Engineering Limited; an employee of the company, Suleiman Abubakar, and the Managing Director of Josmon Technologies Limited, Apeh John Monday and the two companies.